For businesses large and small, relying on a cloud-based collaboration and productivity suite such as Microsoft Office 365 is becoming the norm. Enhancing productivity in your organisation is vital to get ahead in 2017 - and using Office 365 can help, if it's used right...

IT graduates need soft skills too

One in eight of 2002/3 computer science graduates were still unemployed a year after leaving university, according to research from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

This compares to one in 10 creative arts and design graduates and just one in 500 of those qualifying in medicine and dentistry.

Experts have advised that computer science graduates must make sure they have interpersonal as well as technical skills.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, precited that employment would pick up as the market returned to growth. "I'm very surprised IT comes out bottom of the league, even taking the lean market into account," he said.

"Last year we saw the first signs of recovery and it has continued this year. I think this will probably start to show in graduate employment figures next year."

Gilleard added that it would be bad news if the results put students off taking computing courses. "The trend is already towards fewer people opting for science and technology degrees, so I'm nervous that this could discourage even more people," he said.

Another factor affecting levels of unemployment among IT graduates could be their comparative lack of transferable and soft skills.

"While computer scientists may be highly technically competent, their transferable skills might not be as finely tuned as others', especially business studies graduates who may be competing for some of the same positions," said Gilleard.

"If your stereotypical techie finishes a computer science degree when times are lean and can't find a job matching their knowledge and experience, they might have more difficulty moving across to something similar but different.

"And no matter how technically brilliant you are, even in the IT industry you need good interpersonal skills."

Karen Price, chief executive of sector skills council e-skills UK, said universities should aim to work more closely with the organisation to improve job prospects for IT graduates.

"For example, employers and universities have worked with e-skills UK to create a new degree course for IT which develops the business, technical, interpersonal and project skills employers value, preparing graduates for a wide range of IT professional careers," she said.